Halfords Tour Series 2012: Cycling Weekly's coverage index

Halfords Tour Series, Oldham 2011

Welcome to Cycling Weekly's coverage of the Tour Series 2012, which got underway in Kirkcaldy on May 15.

This page serves as a hub for all of our coverage of this year's event, from reports and exclusive rider blogs, to the latest news to photo galleries.

Tour Series 2012: Race Introduction
That the Tour Series is primarily a team-based event is arguably its unique selling point. The squad who has the lowest culmulative score for their first three riders across the line wins each round, although individual glory is still on offer.

Consistency and teamwork is needed to take the overall victory, as Rapha-Condor-Sharp proved last year. They took the victory in the opening five rounds (out of a total of eight), which gave them a rather unassailable lead in the standings. Motorpoint took the title in 2010, and the inaugural title went to Halfords BikeHut, which means Ed Clancy and Andy Tennant have been part of every winning team to date.

Tour Series 2012: Schedule
Round by round preview with Raleigh-GAC rider Jeroen Janssen >>>

After being reduced to eight rounds last year, the series will be played out over an unprecedented twelve rounds in 2012.

Series opener Kirkcaldy hosts the first Scottish round of the event, while Oxford and Torquay are also newcomers to the schedule.

Aberystwyth will be the scene of the first ever Friday night round, while 2011 closer Canary Wharf will be held in the middle of the series having previously opened the event two years ago.

The Tour Series Grand Final in Stoke-on-Trent will comprise of a mid-afternoon team time trial before the criterium in the evening.

Tour Series 2012: Rider blogs
Cycling Weekly will have a rider blogging from every round of this
year's Tour Series, offering insight, comment and humour from the
fast-paced proceedings.

Round one, Kirkcaldy: James McCallum (Rapha-Condor-Sharp)
Round two, Durham: Paul Oldham (Hope Factory Racing)
Round three, Oxford: Kit Gilham (Herbalife-LeisureLakesBikes)
Round four, Redditch: Chris Opie (UK Youth)
Round five, Aberystwyth: Graham Briggs (Raleigh-GAC)
Round six, Peterborough: George Tansley (CyclePremier-Kovert)
Round seven, Canary Wharf: Rhys Lloyd (Metaltek-Scott)
Round eight, Torquay: Matt Cronshaw (Node4-Giordana)

Eyewitness: Thrills aplenty in Oxford

Tour Series 2012: Johnson's Health Tech GP Series
The four-round Women's Tour Series will also be returning in 2012 after proving an excitement addition to the programme last year.

Helen Wyman took the victory in 2011, although she was given a tough ride by Motorpoint duo Lucy Garner and Hannah Barnes.

Tour Series 2012: TV Schedule
ITV4 will once again bring the Tour Series into your home after experiencing a surge in viewing figures in 2011. 

Their hour-long highlights programmes recorded an average reach of 244,000 last year, and will be presented by Ned Boulting.

ITV4 is available on Freeview (Channel 24), Freesat (Channel 117), Sky (Channel 120), Virgin Media (Channel 118) and online via www.itv.com/itv4.

The broadcaster's on-demand service ITV Player service will also have the coverage available to watch online at a later date.

Related links
Team time trial twist for Tour Series
Tour Series 2012 teams unveiled
CW predicts 2012 Tour Series schedule
Tour Series 2011: Cycling Weekly's coverage index
Team Hope prepare for Tour Series in DoonHame crit
Tour Series 2012: Round by round preview